Apparatus for surfacing sheet glass



Aug. 23, 1932. J. L. DRAKE 1,872,694

APPARATUS FOR SURFACING SHEET GLASS Filed Sept 2a, 1922 ":1" 4 WM: I m

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Patented Aug. 23, 1932 I UNITED s'ra'ras or TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'ro LmBEY-ownNs roan GLASS com- IPANY, or TOLEDO, care, A coaroaarron 01 euro PATENT OFFICE.

nrrena'rus roa suamcme' SHEET GLASS Application flledseptember 26, 1928. Serial No. 308,370.

This invention relates toapparatus for the polishing of sheet glass or other flat sheets is the provision of a novel arrangement for preventing the polishing runners or tools of the polishing machine from being raised or lifted up off of the glass during the polishing operation, as is often occasioned by the centrifugal force created incident to the rotation of said runners. The raising or lifting of the runners naturally lessens the pressure exerted thereby upon the glass and 'in some instances, when the runner is thus raised, it is held at an angle relative to the glass resulting in an un-uniform polishing action. By preventing the runners from being raised or lifted up off of the glass, the pressure of said runners upon the glass may be maintained more nearly uniform and constant and further, the danger of the runner being held at an angle relative to the glass and causing an un-uniform polishing action is avoided.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a novel arrangement whereby the centrifugal force created incident to the rotation of the polishing runners or tools may be utilized to force the runners downwardly onto the glass and whereby the centrifugal force created may likewise be utilized to control the pressure of the runners upon the glass sheets. That is, instead of the centrifugal force tending to lift or raise the runners up off of the glass, such force will be utilized to urge the runners downwardly into engagement with the glass so that the greater the centrifugal force created, the greater will be the pressure of the runners on the glass.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the. course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Inthe drawing forming a part of this application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section "throu h polishinj apparatus constructed in accor ance with t e present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a top Ian view of a portion thereof, partially bro en away.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the lower end of thedrive s indle of a polishing machine'which may be riven in any suitable manner. Carried at the lower end of the spindle is a runner frame designated in its entirety by the numeral 6 and comprising more specifically a hub 7 from which radiate a plurality of spokes 8 connected at their outer ends byan annular ring 9. Secured to or formed integral with the ring 9 at spaced points around the periphery thereof are a plurality of pairs of spaced outwardly projecting lugs. 10.

The numeral 11 designates in its entirety a bell-crank lever or the like including the substantially horizontal outwardly projecting portion 12 and the substantially vertical portion 13. One of these levers is positioned between each pair of'spaced lugs 10 and is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a transverse pin or shaft 14. Carriedat the outer end of the substantially horizontal,

The substantially vertical portion of lever 11 is preferably cylindrical and screw threaded and carries a nut or the like 17 for supporting the weight 16. Upon rotation of nut 17, the weight 16 may be either raised or lowered as desired. Theglass sheet or other flatsheet or plate 18 to be polished is adapted to be placed or supported upon a table 19 beneath the polishing runners 15.

While the polishing runners or tools may be of any suitable construction, they have been illustrated in the drawing as consisting of circular metallic blocks 20 having secured to the lower faces thereof pads 21 of felt or other material. The upper face of each blo ck'20 may be provided with a socket to receive the ball head 22 carried at the lower end of a vertical spindle 23, said spindle being received within a bushing 24 arranged within the bearing portion 25 formed at the structions, for the polishing runners or tools 7 to be lifted or raised up off of the glass upon rotation of the runner frame. However, with the arrangement herein provided, the polishing runners are not only prevented from lifting or raising up off of the glass upon rotation of the runner frame but are, in fact, urged into engagement with the glass upon such rotation. Upon rotation of the runner frame, the centrifugal force created will tend to throw or urge the weight 16 outwardly, rocking the respective bell crank lever 11 about its pivot to force or hold the polishing runner carried thereby in contact with the glass. Thus, the greater the centrifugal force created the greater will be the pressure of the runners upon the glass so that the centrifugal force cannot only be utilized for preventing raising or lifting of the runner but can also be utilized for controlling the pressure of said runners upon the glass sheet. While the portion 13 of bell crank lever 10 has been mentioned as being substantially vertical, it is, in fact, preferably slightly inclined upwardly and outwardly so that the weight 16 will at all times have a tendency to urge the runner into engagement with the glass.

In order to prevent the polishing runners from collapsing or folding inwardly upon lifting of the runner frame 6, stop members 28 may be carried .by said runner frame and which members project outwardly beneath the horizontal portions 12 of the bell crank levers 11. Of course, there is a certain amount of clearance between the stop members and bell crank levers to permit of a limited rocking movement of the latter.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim' 1'. In a machinefor polishin sheet glass, a vertical rotatable drive spin le, a runner frame carried at the lower end of said spindle, a plurality of polishing runners pivotally carried by the runner frame, and a weight element associated with each runner and adapted to act in a manner to increase the pressure of said runner upon the glass upon rotation of the runner frame.

2. In a machine for polishin a vertical rotatable drive spin e, a runner frame carried at the lower end of said spindle, a plurality of levers pivoted intermediate their ends to the runner frame, a polish ing runner carried at one end of each lever, and a weight element carried at the other end thereof and adapted to act in a manner to increase the pressure of said runner upon the glass upon rotation of the runner frame.

3. In a machine for polishing sheet glass, a vertical rotatable drive spindle, a runner frame carried at the lower end of said spindle, a pluralit of levers pivoted intermediate their en s to the runner frame, each lever including a substantally horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion, a polishing runner carried by the substantial- 1y horizontal portion, and a weight carried by the substantially vertical portion in a manner to increase the pressure of the runner upon the glass upon rotation of the runner frame. I

4. 111a machine fonpolishing sheet glass, a vertical rotatable drive spindle, a runner frame carried at the lower end of said spindle, a lurality of levers pivoted intermediate t eir ends to therunner frame, each lever including a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion, a polishing runner carried by the substantially horizontal portion and a weight carried by the substantially vertical portion in a manner to increase the pressure of the runner upon the lass upon rotation of the runner frame, and means for adjusting said weight to vary the pressure upon the sheet.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 24th day of September 1928.

JOHN L. DRAKE.

sheet glass, 

